Pro-Russian military and civilian administration in occupied Ukrainian city, Kherson, has announced plans to conduct a referendum on joining Russia.
This was made known by Kirill Stremoussov, the deputy head of Kherson’s military and civil administration, in a video posted on Telegram, NAN reports.
“Yes, we are preparing for a referendum, and we will hold it,’’ Stremoussov said.
According to him, Kherson needed to be admitted as a full-fledged member of Russia.
The prospect of such a vote in the southern Ukrainian area is not new, and prior statements by the Moscow-imposed government suggested it would take place in the autumn.
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Igor Kolychaev, the elected mayor of Kherson, has reportedly been taken into custody by Russian authorities, according to reports that surfaced on Tuesday.
The government of Ukraine had long suggested that a referendum like this one, modeled after the annexation of Crimea and the rebel areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, may be organized for Kherson.
Since the beginning of March 2022, Russia has had complete authority/control over Kherson, a significant Ukrainian Black Sea port.
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